School Curriculum

The process the school level education went through in re/developing the Digital Technologies / Hangarau Matahiko (DT/HM, Ministry of Education, 2017a, b) curricula is useful scene-setting. Crucially, as a first observation, it is not a direct translation. For example, the introduction to Technology:

What is technology about?

Technology is intervention by design. It uses intellectual and practical resources to create technological outcomes, which expand human possibilities by addressing needs and realising opportunities.

Design is characterised by innovation and adaptation and is at the heart of technological practice. It is informed by critical and creative thinking and specific design processes. Effective and ethical design respects the unique relationship that New Zealanders have with their physical environment and embraces the significance of Māori culture and world views in its practice and innovation.

This is not directly comparable to the equivalent statement in Hangarau (Ministry of Education, 2017a):

Te Whaitake o te Ako i te Hangarau

Me whaitake ngā kaupapa hangarau kia kore ai e whāia mō te kore noa iho.

Mā te hangarau ka tū rangatira ngā ākonga. Hei whakahiato i ngā mōhiotanga hangarau, ka tīmata i te ao Māori me tōna hāngai ki te ao hurihuri. Me aro anō ki ngā uara, ngā pūkenga, me ngā mōhiotanga hangarau o te ao e taunga ana ia.

The Importance of Learning Technology (our translation)

Technical projects must be relevant so that they are not pursued for nothing.

Technology empowers students. To gather technical knowledge, we begin with the Māori world and its relevance to the changing world. They must also focus on the values, skills, and technical knowledge of the world they are familiar with.

It might be a subtle difference, but we believe it is significant. The English version puts technical intervention first; the te reo version prioritises the Māori world.

Second, we observe that this subtle difference in philosophy is played out in a different structure. For the New Zealand Curriculum in English, these technology changes came in the form of two new technological areas and progress-outcomes for each. These focus on computational thinking and developing digital outcomes. Key to both of these was the focus on end-users, that is; what do we design for people and why?

For the Mātauraka o Aotearoa Curriculum in Māori-medium kura these Hangarua changes came in the form of two new tupuranga (areas of growth). These focus on te reo and tikanga, digital citizenship and computational thinking. Key to both of these is a focus on understanding the past to inform the future, and connecting traditional Māori practices and knowledge with contemporary skills.